When to laugh and when to not laugh?

First of all I have never approved of someone being pointed at and laughed at, especially little children. I think that is cruel. I have been the
object of this cruelty myself, when very young! I am sure there might be exceptions but….

1.) One time at Christmas, my dad was driving my 5 year old and me to my sister’s where the family was gathering. She was riding in the back seat
(43 years ago) sitting on the edge, no seat belt, singing and swinging her leg and foot. Suddenly she was very quiet then came over to behind me, in
the front passenger seat and wouldn’t say a word. When we arrived at my sister’s, my dad got out first, and then said, “Oh! I see the
problem”.

She had been swinging her foot as she sang and it went back and forth through her grandma’s lemon pie that was on the floor, along with other
goodies we were transporting. Her snow boot was covered with lemon filling and meringue, but I stopped my dad from laughing. She was sensitive and I
knew she would be very hurt. But my brother found out and began to tease her and she began to cry and I could have killed him, as she ran away, and
after that no one ever dared mention lemon pie to her again.

My mother was one to laugh at others’ misfortunes and I rather have that tendency, as long as the person is an adult and not hurt. As the years have
passed, I laugh more at myself now than anyone!

2.) Once I was driving in winter, but stopped at a flashing red light, awaiting all the cars with the flashing yellow to go through, downtown. As I
gazed around, I saw a guy walking, and *zap* he disappeared vertically, behind some parked cars on that street, then he came back up, from slipping
on the sidewalk, and looked all around to see if anyone had seen him fall. I could scarcely contain myself, but at least no one saw me laughing, and
he did rise again. He began to continue and *zap* disappeared again. That nearly did me in but had to drive on, as I now had the yellow flashing
light.

3.) My dad died at 4:30 a.m. and I went to my mother’s house. Another sister was there. We sat at the kitchen table-- August, warm, inside door
open, screened door closed----don’t remember the conversation, but he had had cancer, was in the hospital for 3 months after surgery, then my
mother looked after him for 3 months at home. I had seen him the day before, just a skeleton covered with skin and couldn’t talk--very difficult to
know what to say---certainly not crack my favourite jokes. While alive, friends would stop by the house and have a visit with him and Mom.

As we sat there, a truck drove up, a man wearing a fedora climbed out, came to the door, mom called to come in, he did, removed his hat and his
fingertips were clutching the brim, spinning it slowly, as he stood there. Then he asked “Well! How is the old guy?” She said, “Oh he’s
dead!”

I think he lost the use of his fingers, as his hat fell to the floor and he walked out the door without a word, to go back to his truck. We three sat
there, looked at his hat on the floor and began to laugh and it was so difficult to keep it low so as not have the sound carry through the screened
door to his truck.

First of all, I think laughter is always the best medicine. I think most of the time when people laugh at others, it's just because of the irony of
the situation, and not so much that someone was hurt or anything.

I would have laughed at a child's foot in the lemon pie!

It's just adorable. And she would need to get over that kind of sensitivity REAL quick!

I don't like seeing people hurt..and I can't watch videos of people getting hurt. But when irony strikes, it's usually something to laugh at.

Let me give an example of what I mean by irony over someone being hurt. One time I was having lunch with my mom when we were traveling out of state.
We were sitting in this restaurant with a huge glass window overlooking the parking lot. This cute, little girl was walking towards her car with no
sign of her parents.

My mom says, "Aww, look at how cute she is!"

The little girl was trying to open the door of this huge SUV type vehicle. I looked over and she reached over her head to pull on the door handle, but
being so small, the door just slapped her in the face and knocked her down. She wasn't hurt, and we couldn't help but laugh. Her parents rushed over
to comfort her.

It's not because she got knocked down or anything. It was just funny because we know better..that when you open a car door, you have to stand to the
side. She learned a lesson that day, I think.

Just like your sister learned about not sticking her boots in lemon pie, right?

You will have to use your own judgement on when it's inappropriate to laugh. And sometimes, we can't help but laugh at situations that we normally
shouldn't. It's all just laughter--and the intentions are usually not hurtful--just go with it! Empathy is the key.

It takes more than some laughter to bring people down. If they're hurt or embarrassed when people laugh at them, usually they're long overdue for
sticking their boots in some pie.

Someone once told me, "He who can't laugh at his own misfortunes is truly a miserable person."

It's just adorable. And she would need to get over that kind of sensitivity REAL
quick!

At age 5 ? when I, her mother, was 6 months away from her in the hospital, with a broken back and paralyzed, plus another 6 months to go, and just
home for Xmas? NO. You don't laugh at that child's distress of messing up her grandma's lemon pie!

The little girl was trying to open the door of this huge SUV type vehicle. I looked over and she reached over her head to pull on the door
handle, but being so small, the door just slapped her in the face and knocked her down. She wasn't hurt, and we couldn't help but laugh. Her parents
rushed over to comfort her.

The operative phrase there is "Her parents rushed over to comfort her"

This is an example of laughing at one's child, who is hurting. I find it abominable!

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